Inhaling device



June 15, Q RUPP INHALING DEVICE Filed July 27. 1961 INVENTOR.

OTTO RUPP ORNEY FIG.4

United States Patent 3,189,030 INHALING DEVICE Otto Rupp, 74 Campbell, Hawthorne East 3, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Filed July 27, 1961, Ser. No. 127,305 8 Claims. (Cl. 12-8 -1'86) The present invention relates to a device for administering medication to the respiratory passages of the head and, more particularly, to an inhaler, especially of the type in which the medication is in the form of a volatile substance, dissolved in a liquid from which it is extracted, by the inhalation of air passing through such medicated liquid in the inhaler.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inhaling device of the character described, of relatively small and compact size, which may be easily and conveniently carried in the pocket of a garment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inhaling device of the character described which permits the extraction of the volatile medicament from the liquid to a greater degree than the size of the device would normally indicate.

It is also an object of'the present invention to provide an inhaling device of the character described which, although permitting the inhaling of a relatively large amount of medicinal vapor, will inhibit the inhalation of any of the liquid from which the vapor is extracted.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an inhaler of the character described which is substantially leakand spill-proof and therefore safe to carry in a pocket.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an inhaling device of the character described which need not be held by hand when in use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an inhaler of the character described which may be readily emptied, cleaned and refilled, and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

It is a still furtherobject of the present invention to provide an inhaler of the character described which is easy and convenient and effective for use.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an inhaler of the character described which is relatively economical to produce as well as economical in the use of medicinal liquid supplied to it.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the inhaler of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific detail shown therein. 1

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of an inhaling 'device formed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational and partly sectional view of a modified embodiment of the inhaler of the present invention.

Generally stated, the present invention resides in the provision of an outer tube closed at one end and having a nozzle at its other end, and an air inlet tube within the 3,189,030 Patented June 15, 1965 ICC outer tube opening into the wall thereof at a central point and extending to substantially the bottom of the tube, and of a maze passage formed in the outer tube above the air inlet formed in the wall of the outer tube that provide narrow and tortuous passages above the liquid level of the tube; such passages serving both to enlarge surface areas for the exposure of liquid films for improved extraction of medicated vapor from such liquid films, and also as an obstacle and hindrance to the passage of the liquid itself into the respiratory passages being medicated.

Referring now in greater detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the same comprises an elongated, preferably cylindrical tube, 10, having a closed bottom, 12, and a preferably diagonally, curvedly offset upper end portion, 14, open at its end, as at 16, which end portion may taper and be provided with a beaded edge, 18, and may serve as a nozzle to be held in the mouth or in a nostril. 1

The tube 10 is provided at a distance from its bottom, as at approximately midway of its height, with the opening, 20, through which is inserted an inverted L-shaped air tube, 22, that is fused into such opening to make an air-tight seal with it, and may be provided with a lateral extension, 24, projecting externally of the tube 10.

The tube is further provided above its opening 20 with oppositely facing, preferably cylindrical indentations, 26, formed in its wall, each of a diameter less than the diameter of the tube and each preferably having a flat circular bottom, 28, with the bottom of each opposed pairs of indentations being preferably slightly spaced from one another, so that each pair of opposed indentations26 provide a passage, 30, between their bottoms, as well as each individual indentation providing a narrow passage, 32., between its cylindrical wallv and the wall of the tube to each side thereof.

While any number of pairs of opposed indentations 26 may be provided in the tube 10, I prefer to have at least two pairs of such indentations, spaced along the longitudinal axis of the tube 10; each pair of indentations being disposed on a transverse axis at to the other pair, More preferably, I prefer to have four pairs of indentations 26, as illustrated, each of the pair being disposed along a transverse axis at 90 to that of the adjacent pair.

For use, the tube 10 may be filled with medicated liquid, either through the open end of the air tube extension 24, or through its top opening 16, as may be desired, preferably to a height below the lowermost of the indentations 26. After being so filled, the nozzle 16 may be held in the mouth and air inhaled from the tube 10. Such air will enter through the open end of the air tube 22, to the bottom of the tube 10, and then pass upwardly through the liquid and through the passages 30 and 32 between and around the indentations 26, where liquid picked up by the passing air will be deposited or caught by the enlarged surface areas of passages 30 and 32, to prevent its passage into the respiratory passages of the head, and when caught on such surfaces, will form a thin, extended film thereon from which the medicament will most efiiciently vaporize.

When not in use, a closure may be provided for the nozzle outlet 16, which may be in the form of either a plug or a cap, as desired. Also, a perforated cap, 36, having a tubular extension, 38, may be placed over the projecting end 24 of tube 22, with its tubular extension disposed within the tube 22 extension, to limit the air intake into the tube, as well as to inhibit the leakage of liquid therethrough.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the air tube 22 is formed With an upwardly offset extension, 40, whose upper end is offset laterally, in a substantially common plane with the nozzle portion 14, to thereby further inhibit discharge of liquid through the air tube and make it more convenient to insert into and remove from a pocket, without catching against an edge thereof. Also, by this arrangement, where the air tube outlet and the nozzle are substantially on a level, and in a substantially common plane, common closure means may be provided for both, if desired.

It may here be stated that the inhaler of the present invention, and particularly the outer tube thereof, may preferably and most advantageously be formed of a transparent material, such as glass or a transparent synthetic It will be readily apparent that the device of the invention is highly efiicient for its purpose; being compact and convenient to carry on the person at all times for use as desired, substantially under any circumstances; being substantially keal and spill-proof; permitting maximum extraction of medication from the liquid contents relative to the size thereof; and being easy to empty and refill and to maintain in a clean and sanitary condition.

It 'will be further apparent that numerous modifications and variations in the inhaler of the present invention may be made by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such modifications and variations that may be made within the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. An inhaling device of the character described, comprising an elongated unitary outer tube closed at one end and open at its other end, said tube having an opening formed in the wall thereof in spaced relation to its closed end, an open-ended air-admitting tube within said outer tube extending from said opening to a point adjacent the closed bottom thereof and fitted into said opening in airtight relation with edges thereof, a portion of said outer tube above said air-inlet opening having at least one pair of diametrically opposed inwardly extending indentations each of a width less than the diameter of said outer tube formed therein.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper end of said tube above said indentations is diagonally, laterally offset and forms a nozzle adapted to be received in the opening of a respiratory passage of the human body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said air passage tube has a portion thereof extending outwardly from said outer tube and is adapted to receive a perforated closure over the end thereof.

4. An inhaling device of the character described, comprising an elongated unitary outer tube closed at one end and open at its other end, said tube having an opening formed in the wall thereof in spaced relation to its closed end, an open-ended air-admitting tube within said outer tube extending from said opening to a point adjacent the closed bottom thereof and fitted into said opening in air-tight relation with edges thereof, a portion of said outer tube above said air-inlet opening having at least one pair of diametrically opposed inwardly extending indentations each of a width less than the diameter of said outer tube formed therein, the inner ends of said indentations spaced from one another to provide an air passage between them.

5. An inhaling device of the character described, co prising an elongated unitary outer tube closed at one end and open at its other end, said tube having an opening formed in the wall thereof in spaced relation to its closed end, an open-ended air-admitting tube within said outer tube extending from said opening to a point adjacent the closed end thereof and fitted into said opening in airtight relation with edges thereof, a portion of said outer tube above said air-inlet opening having a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed inwardly extending indentations each of a width less than the diameter of said outer tube formed therein, inner ends of said indentations spaced from one another to provide an air passage between them.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said indentations are each substantially round and each formed with a substantially flat inner wall.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein said pairs of indentations are spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis of said outer tube and each pair disposed on an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis and at right angles to the axis of an adjacent pair.

8. An inhaling device of the character described, comprising an elongated unitary outer tube closed at one end and open at its other end, and an open-ended, airiniet tube of lesser diameter than said outer tube extending through the wall of said outer tube at a point intermediate said ends thereof, from the exterior of said outer tube to a point substantially close to said closed end thereof, the portion of said outer tube between said airinlet tube and said open end of said outer tube having a plurality of inwardly extending indentations formed in the wall thereof, arranged in spaced relation relative to one another along the longitudinal axis of said outer tube, the sides of said indentations defining restricted air passageways-within said outer tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,266,704 12/41 Fox et al. 128-207 2,297,178 9/42 Tompkins et a1. 128-200 2,535,938 12/50 Lombard 128-205 FOREIGN PATENTS 174,540 2/22 Great Britain.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

ADELE M. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. AN INHALING DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UNITARY OUTER TUBE CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT ITS OTHER END, SAID TUBE HAVING AN OPENING FORMED IN THE WALL THEREOF IN SPACED RELATION TO ITS CLOSED END, AN OPEN-ENDED AIR-ADMITTING TUBE WITHIN SAID OUTER TUBE EXTENDING FROM SAID OPENING TO A POINT ADJACENT THE CLOSED BOTTOM THEREOF AND FITTED INTO SAID OPENING IN AIRTIGHT RELATION WITH EDGES THEREOF, A PORTION OF SAID OUTER TUBE ABOVE SAID AIR-INLET OPENING HAVING AT LEAST ONE PAIR 